


Walking the Plank

by inamamagic



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, High School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-05-17 01:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5849512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inamamagic/pseuds/inamamagic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school AU</p><p>In which Jane is a stumbling, fumbling, freshman, and Petra is the perfectly put-together senior. There is orange juice involved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Walking the Plank

It’s not every day that you spill your whole cup of orange juice onto the very white shirt of the most popular girl in school. But when you do, you can be certain that your life will never be the same again.

The tables nearest to them fall quiet first, the first waves of shock rendering them mute as Jane blinks and comprehends the fact that the orange stain on Petra’s shirt is still growing monstrously large, and soaking through so you can see the outline of her (obviously very expensive) bra.

One by one, as though a silent spell is washing over the cafeteria, everyone stops talking and turns to stare. At the very back of her terrified mind, Jane is pleased that there’s no dramatic music playing, because the last thing she needs is a soundtrack designed to keep her on edge.

“Oh my god…” she whispers, her voice half trapped in her throat with horror. Petra’s just staring at her own shirt, her face a blank and silent mask. Icy tendrils of fear creep over Jane as she desperately tries to read the older girl’s expression.

“I am so, so sorry…” she stammers. Her legs seem frozen in place and her shoulders are hunched as she clutches her tray. Lina’s standing behind her, quiet for once, not knowing what to say or do that will help.

Petra finally looks up. Her expression is unreadable, but she makes eye contact with Jane and stares and stares at her for so long that Jane feels like she might just burst into tears. A hurricane of apologies form and die on the way to her tongue, and she stammers wordlessly as Petra’s cool gaze bores into her.

Without another word, the senior storms out of the cafeteria.

Lina places a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s get outta here,” she says quietly. Jane is only too happy to oblige. There is a lump growing in her throat as she struggles to hold back tears, letting her best friend lead her out of the cafeteria and beyond the reach of everyone’s accusing stares.

***

The shame of it all causes Jane to contemplate the unthinkable – skipping school.

“You can’t run away from it honey,” says Xiomara, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. Abuela nods, and Lina looks sympathetic. Jane had been too alarmed to speak about what had happened, so Lina had filled everyone in. Even though she was concerned, Xiomara looked a little bit like she was trying not to laugh.

“But I can’t go back and face her!” wails Jane. “What if she hates me? What if she plots a whole vendetta against me? _What if she tries to kill me_?”

“She did make that one sophomore girl cry once when she was blocking her locker,” offers Lina. Jane moans and puts her head in her hands. Xiomara shoots Lina a glare, but the younger girl responds with a shrug.

“Look, Janie, I don’t think it’s gonna be that bad,” says Xiomara. “And anyway. You won’t know if you don’t go to school tomorrow and figure it out. Just go up to her and apologise. Tell her you’ll pay for the cost of cleaning.”

“Sí,” says Abuela, reaching out to take Jane’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Jane looks at her mother, and then her grandmother, and finally, her best friend, who, despite her unhelpful statements, looks supportive.

And so, despite trembling with fear and feeling a lot like she’s about to pee her pants, Jane returns to school the next morning and finds Petra’s locker. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, visualising her favourite telenovela hero, El Presidente.

_Inhala… Exhala… Inhala… Exhala…_

After a few of these, Jane feels calm enough to approach Petra.

Good news: She’s alone.

Bad news: She doesn’t smile. Not even a little. Instead, she looks at Jane as though she’s some kind of bug, or something similarly unwanted.

Jane takes another deep breath.

_Inhala… Exhala…_

“Petra,” she says, thanking god that her voice doesn’t come out all squeaky. “I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry about yesterday, and I’ll even pay to have it cleaned, if you want.”

Petra raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything at all. Instead, her eyes give Jane an oddly searching look, one that makes a shiver run down her back. She knows Petra is pretty, she’s noticed it before, noticed how the older girl carries herself with a level of poise and grace that is practically unheard of in a high school environment, but she’s only just noticing how large and beautiful her blue eyes are, how her porcelain skin seems to glow, and how her lips curve in the perfect cupid’s bow.

“I – uh – yeah,” she stammers. “Anyway. I just wanted to apologise.”

“Is that all?” asks Petra, her voice as cool as her eyes. Jane feels like she’s been slapped in the face.

“I – um, yeah, yeah I suppose it is,” she says. “But Petra, I –”

Petra closes her locker door. “You’re gonna be late to class,” she says, her lips twitching slightly. Turning on her heel, she struts away, her cerulean dress swishing around her thighs as she walks. Jane’s eyes stay locked on her figure until she turns and disappears down another hallway.

***

“She hates me,” says Jane, a huge lump forming in her throat as she relays the events of the morning to Lina. “She hates me. And now I’m gonna end up like that sophomore.”

They’re sitting in the library and Jane has been struggling not to cry for the past ten minutes. Lina looks concerned, but so far, she hasn’t said anything to help. Not for the lack of trying though.

“Well, you’re technically halfway there,” says Lina, patting Jane’s arm. “So if you really think about it, it’s okay. Besides, she’s gonna graduate soon. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“I become a social pariah,” says Jane, her eyes wide. “She’ll ruin my life.”

Lina sighs and opens her mouth to rebut, but a shadow falls over both of them. They look up, and Jane has to suppress a gasp. It’s Petra, and she has the funniest look on her face, as though she’s laughing at a joke that only she understands.

But if Jane really thinks about it, she’s probably amused by the mental image of Jane’s head on a spike. Or maybe just her in the stocks. Or maybe Jane in a white, orange juice stained shirt, every day for the rest of her natural life. Or maybe –

“Could I talk to you for a second?” she says. Jane scrambles up. Lina gives her hand a quick squeeze.

“I’ll just be here,” she says. Jane nods, not trusting herself to speak, as she follows Petra into the space between two bookshelves. It’s almost like she’s walking to her death, like a criminal walking to the executioner’s block, a prisoner walking the plank, a hostage being led to a cell -

_Inhala… Exhala…_

Petra stands in front of her, leaning casually against the shelf, her big blue eyes dancing with amusement. Jane feels a ball of resentment growing in her stomach. If Petra finds torturing her funny, well, she’s just going to have to –

“I just wanted to say that you don’t have to pay for my shirt,” she says, twirling a thick blonde lock around her finger.

“Wha – what?” says Jane.

“You don’t have to pay for my shirt,” repeats Petra, a small smile flickering around her full pink lips. “And it’s okay, you don’t really have to apologise more than you already have. Accidents happen.”

Jane’s jaw drops. Petra now looks more amused then ever.

“Also, I was wondering,” she says, tilting her head, “if you’d like to go grab some food with me sometime.”

Jane is now truly and utterly shocked, and can only blink for a few seconds. Petra’s expression slowly gives way to concern.

“I mean, if you’re not up for it –”

“No!” exclaims Jane, so loudly that she can see someone turn to glance in their direction. “No,” she repeats, more softly this time. “I mean, I am up for it. I’d love to go out with you sometime.”

The words are out of her mouth before she realises, and the nature of the implication becomes clear to her in a heartbeat. With a gasp, she claps a hand over her mouth.

Petra is genuinely smiling now.

“So it’s a date then,” she says. “How’s Wednesday afternoon sound?”

“Um,” squeaks Jane, her hands still over her mouth. “Great. Wednesday’s good.”

“Great,” says Petra, standing straight. She begins to walk away but stops and turns around. “Oh, and don’t worry. I’ll bring a raincoat with me. In case you were planning on spilling something else.”

She winks at Jane and sidles away, leaving the freshman girl alone in the bookshelves, with a face that’s hotter than the surface of the sun.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if there are any errors in the text. Thanks for reading :)


End file.
